


Tea

by SofiaFaolan



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 221b, Breakfast, Domestic, Emotions, Experiments, Eyeballs, Fluff, Gen, Humor, John Getting Annoyed, M/M, Mind Palace, Pre-Johnlock, Sherlock Being Sherlock, Sherlock's Violin, Tea, but can be read with or without Johnlock glasses, preferably with
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-14 21:18:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1279189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SofiaFaolan/pseuds/SofiaFaolan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Wha!—Sherlock, what the bloody HELL are these?” John’s voice carried through the flat.</p>
<p>Sherlock huffed and tugged the bedcovers further over his head. John was shouting again. He seemed to shout most often in the kitchen, particularly in the mornings, when he first comes down from his room. Perhaps there is a correlation. He should experiment.<br/>***<br/>A short ficlet that is becoming less short... Sherlock works on an experiment that John discovers all over his breakfast the following morning. An argument ensues, after which Sherlock is puzzled by emotions. Don't worry, he figures it out eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction. I'm very open to constructive criticism and/or general responses.... basically I'm just hoping someone reads this. I've been very inspired by AO3..so here goes!
> 
> Not Beta'd, all mistakes are mine. Let me know if there's anything glaringly obvious that I've missed.

“Wha!—Sherlock, what the bloody HELL are these?” John’s voice carried through the flat.

Sherlock huffed and tugged the bedcovers further over his head. John was shouting again. He seemed to shout most often in the kitchen, particularly in the mornings, when he first comes down from his room. Perhaps there is a correlation. He should experiment. 

“Sherlock.” The position of John’s voice indicated he had left the kitchen and now stood outside his flatmate’s bedroom door.

“That is my name, John,” Sherlock said, voice dripping with mild amusement at John’s tendency to state the obvious. 

“Sherlock!” John was growing impatient. Interesting. Definitely should experiment

“Still my name,” he responded petulantly. Sherlock curled and stretched in the sunlight like a cat as he pulled back the duvet. He considered a moment, deducing his friend’s agitation, and relented. “Yes, John, what is it?”

“Kitchen. Now.” John’s angry footsteps receded down the hall, emphasizing his order.

Sherlock lithely stepped out of bed and donned his robe. He gazed piercingly at John, considering the best way to implement his experimentation with the man’s temper. John gestured shortly to the gooey substance coating his place at the kitchen table and its contents. Sherlock’s eyes skimmed the scene shortly. 

“What, this?” John gestured to the affirmative. “Boring.” 

“No, Sherlock. I want to know why there are EYEBALLS in the TEAKETTLE, and why they exploded over my breakfast.” John said tersely.

“Surely, John, even you can deduce what happened here.”

“Enlighten me.” John said through gritted teeth.

“I was working with them last night. Studying how organic human body parts decompose in various substances. I put them down, and must have…forgotten them somewhere—” 

“Yes, in the teakettle” John’s sarcasm was too biting for even Sherlock to ignore.

“Yes.” He paused only briefly. “So clearly this morning, you boiled water for your tea, heating the organic matter. When you went to pour yourself a cup, there was a chemical reaction that caused the matter to explode. As I told you, boring.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John leaves for work. Sherlock searches his mind palace for an explanation of John's emotional reactions, with help from Mrs. Hudson and his violin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfiction. I'm very open to constructive criticism and/or general responses.... basically I'm just hoping someone reads this. I've been very inspired by AO3..so here goes!
> 
> Not Beta'd, all mistakes are mine. Let me know if there's anything glaringly obvious that I've missed.

John’s mouth and facial expression, along with his clenched fist and exasperated huff as he turned sharply away, showed stony anger. Sherlock blinked once. He strode into the living room, robe swirling elegantly as he tossed himself over the armrest onto the couch. He closed his eyes and steepled his hands. The small domestic sounds of John messing about, collecting his things for work, pervaded his consciousness. 

“I’m leaving for the surgery, Sherlock.” John’s voice at the door.

“Yes, John, obviously.”

No response, but also no departing footsteps. Interesting. Sherlock blinked his eyes open, intrigued. He took in John’s stance, his position half in half out of the doorway, his usual coat. He switched his observation to John’s face, searching for data, and paused. John’s voice had been full of anger, but his eyes were sad. Their gaze locked for a moment, but before Sherlock could speak, John broke the eye contact and turned away resolutely, the door slamming closed on his way out. 

Sherlock’s mind was puzzled by the conflicting emotional responses of his flatmate. He searched the rooms of his mind palace for the familiar expression he had seen in John’s eyes.

***

One hour and three minutes later, Sherlock became impatient. He stood abruptly, stepping lightly over the coffee table and taking up his violin. 

Mrs. Hudson peeked around the door of 221B. The flat’s single occupant stood silhouetted against the morning light in the window. 

“Sherlock, are you composing again?”

“Yes, Mrs. Hudson. I’m thinking,” he responded, distant but articulate.

“Thinking about what, dear? You can’t possibly be on another case already.”

“Always something to think about!” Sherlock exploded vehemently, wheeling around to face her. “Experiments, Mrs. Hudson! Cold cases! Locked room crimes!” He paced anxiously as he shouted, his voice filling the room which seemed too small for him.

She made a small, startled noise and began to make her way back downstairs.

“Well, you just shout if you need anything, dear. But remember, I’m not your housekeeper!”

“John,” Sherlock articulated shortly, his deep baritone rumbling.

“What was that, Sherlock?” Mrs. Hudson called back up the stairs. 

“I’m thinking about John,” he murmured too softly for her to hear. The gentle music of the violin resumed as Sherlock entered his mind palace.

Sherlock’s composition changed as his thoughts filled with John. John’s hands—strong and steady as the Army Doctor. John’s blog. John’s smell. John’s jumpers. John’s inappropriate giggles at crime scenes. John’s tea. John’s shouting. John’s smile. John’s eyes.

_John’s sad eyes, just before he closed the door._

Sherlock was close to the correct memory, he was sure. His fingers fell back on his favorite childhood melody. He hummed the tune under his breath, deep in his mind palace. He had reached the older rooms, the first places he had created, storing his first memories.

_John’s eyes._

_John’s sad eyes._

_Redbeard._

Sherlock’s eyes snapped open, and he inhaled sharply with sudden insight, the living room of 221B reasserting itself.

As a child, when Redbeard was still a puppy, Sherlock had come home from school one day to find the dog missing. He and Mycroft immediately set out on an extensive search of the neighborhood. Together, the brothers made short work of the case. They crept down a back alley to witness a few boys in Sherlock’s class cornering the animal. Even as a teenager, Mycroft was a dangerous force of intimidation. The other boys ran, but not before one gave a passing kick at the dog. Sherlock rushed to Redbeard, eager to comfort him and take him home safely. 

John had looked like a kicked puppy as he left the flat.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently working on two/three more chapters. Please, if there's anything you want to see, leave me a note in the comments! I'm happy to take requests.


End file.
